What If
by Astarel
Summary: What if Elphaba accepted the Wizard's offer, and Galinda became the Wicked Witch? What if all of Oz loved the Green Girl instead? And what if Galinda came to terms with her love for her best friend?
1. The Flying Monkeys

_Chapter One: The Flying Monkeys_

Elphaba stared at the Grimmerie in her hands. Her eyes seemed to cloud over, and the symbols scrawled across the yellowed pages slowly began to make sense. She could feel the power of the spell seeping out of the pages, after being suppressed for so long in the hands of the Wizard. She placed one green hand over the book, and began to chant.

"_Ahven, tatey, aven tatey aven..." _

Madam Morrible watched triumphantly as rays of golden light left the Grimmerie and struck the monkeys. The beasts screeched as the magic warped their bodies, causing the nubs of bone on their shoulders to grow and form skeletal wings. Glinda screamed in horror and stepped back as one of the monkeys tried to bite her ankles, frothing at the mouth and screeching in pain.

The Wizard stared in awe as Elphaba easily did what no sorcerer had ever been able to accomplish.

_So this is what power is. _

"STOP!" screamed Glinda, tugging at her friend's sleeves. Tears rolled down her eyes as the monkeys leapt, their wings flapping furiously and lifting them into the air. But Elphaba was intoxicated by the power of the magic, and allowed it to surge through her body.

_"Ah may ah tay atum…"_

The monkeys screamed again as feathers grew on their wings, and long talons burst from their hands. Their heads narrowed, and their eyes glowed a sickening yellow – now more like bird than beast, the monkeys flew around the palace, crashing into the chandeliers and spraying emeralds everywhere.

Glinda screamed and ran towards Morrible, who was laughing in triumph. She grabbed the other woman by the collar and shook her, shouting,

"How do I reverse it?"

The sorceress snarled and shocked Glinda with a bolt of lightning, sending her crumpling to the ground.

"You can't!" she laughed. "Spells are irreversible!"

"You **planned **this?" screamed Glinda, struggling to get to her feet.

"They'll make such perfect spies," said Morrible dreamily, already ignoring Glinda and watching the monkeys create pandemonium. The palace guards rushed in, bayonets held ready but unsure what to do.

Morrible held up her hand and signalled them to stop.

"So many opportunities!" said the Wizard, in amazement. "You both do!" he added hastily, as Glinda rose to her feet, a look of fury on her soft features. Elphaba closed the book and walked up to the three of them, who suddenly found that they could no longer move.

"Thank you, your Ozness," said Elphaba calmly.

"Don't do it, Elphie!" screamed Glinda, struggling to reach her friend. "He wants to hurt the Animals! Remember what he did to Doctor - "

Elphaba gave her a quelling glance, and Glinda's jaw instantly clamped shut.

"Since when did **you **care?" she hissed, looking her friend in the eye. Glinda was crying silently, with tears rolling down her frozen face. "It's always about you. What you want. What you need."

And then the spell was broken, and Glinda ran off, crying. She tripped over the hem of her beautiful dress, which tore with a loud rip. Elphaba laughed, motioning with her hands and commanding the monkeys to chase Glinda, screaming as they hurled shards of emerald at her.

"You must stop her!" shouted the Wizard, as Glinda disappeared down the corridor. "She knows too much!"

"With pleasure," laughed Elphaba, and launched herself down the hall, the monkeys flying close above.

* * *

Glinda wept bitterly as she ran up the stairs, no longer caring how much her dress tore. Elphaba had been so cruel to her, once that horrible book was in that hands. She realized that Elphaba had never been her friend… she had just wanted to use her, step on her back and crush her beneath her heels as a stepping stone to the Wizard.

She cried even harder. After all the trust she had placed in Elphaba… her friendship, her secrets… her love.

And then her feet met the landing. The stairs had ended, and she was trapped in the attic. The screeching of the monkeys was getting louder, along with Elphaba's thundering footsteps. Desperately, Glinda bashed down the flimsy wooden door and ran inside the dark room.

Completely blind, she stumbled in the darkness, trying to find a way out. But it was a dead end.


	2. Defying Gravity

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_Chapter Two: Defying Gravity_

Glinda stumbled blindly in the darkness, trying to find a way out of the attic. The monkeys flew above her head, screeching madly as they clawed at each other, spraying blood and matted fur through the air.

Glinda froze and dropped behind a dusty crate as a group of monkeys swooped near the ground, grabbing crates in their talons and smashing them. A large splinter of wood flew into her thigh, and she screamed into her sleeve as blood began to flow from the gaping wound.

"Oh, Glinda," whispered Elphaba, and her footsteps became louder.

She stopped breathing, and pressed her slender frame against the crate. For once, she wished that she hadn't worn something so flashy; the sequins on her dress were glittering, alerting Elphaba to her like a moth to flame.

_Flame. _

Glinda gasped and reached into the folds of her dress. She still had the magic wand that she had used during Morrible's magic classes at Shizz! She held the wand to her chest, feeling the desperate rise and fall of her breaths, and hoping that she still had some magic left in her.

"Glinda," whispered Elphaba, and she felt a sudden sense of dread. A green hand clamped around her shoulder, freezing her muscles as she was lifted into the air. She screamed and lashed out with her wand, causing its star-shaped point to smash into Elphaba's chest. The witch's cloak burst into flames, and she hissed, tearing off the black cloth and hurling it onto the floor.

"Don't even try to fight me!" she shouted, and Glinda froze. The emerald doors slammed shut in the distance, leaving them in complete darkness. The screeching of the monkeys stopped, and the only sound in the darkness was that of her own labored breathing.

"I LOVED YOU!" screamed Glinda, struggling against Elphaba's spell. "I LOVED YOU, AND YOU BETRAYED ME!"

Tears ran down Glinda's face, smearing her makeup – but she no longer cared about the way she looked. The only woman she had ever loved – the one she had put on the beautiful dress for, and all the stupid makeup - did not return her feelings. She had been with many boys, more than she could count on one hand, but only one girl had ever made her feel so wanted.

"I know what you want," breathed Elphaba, her lips so close to Glinda's ear that it made her shiver in spite of her situation.

For one tiny moment, Glinda felt a spark of hope in her chest. Maybe it was all an act, maybe Elphaba did love her…

"You want to get over yourself, and grow up," she laughed wickedly, then threw Glinda to the ground.

Glinda screamed and released a stream of white fire from her palms, burning Elphaba and causing her to stumble backwards, clutching her face and screaming in agony. Glinda took the opportunity to run, grabbing her wand as she fled through the darkness.

The flying monkeys screeched and chased her, their claws tearing her dress and scratching her face. Drops of blood ran down her face, and she screamed in anguish. The raw emotion surging through her body was a deadly fuel, and exploded from the tip of her wand –

The monkeys screeched as a star exploded from beneath them, and flames consumed their bodies. Elphaba was blinded by the surge of light, and covered her ears as the ceiling of the Emerald Palace was blown into pieces. Debris rained down upon them, knocking Elphaba's hat off her head and crushing her leg beneath a pillar. She screamed as green blood spilled from her wounds, and writhed in agony.

But Glinda just stared at her injured friend, every instinct in her body telling her to help her friend – her one true love. But then she turned away, covering her face with her golden hair.

"I hope you're happy," she whispered, just loudly enough for Elphaba to hear her. The fires still burned around her, illuminating her face as she raised her wand. "Now that you're choosing this…"

There was a loud bang on the door, and it collapsed. The guards of the Emerald Palace stormed in, grabbing Elphaba and pulling her to safety.

"THERE SHE IS! GET HER!" shouted one of the soldiers.

They raised their rifles at Glinda, and their fingers tightened around the triggers -

There was a loud bang as a bubble formed around Glinda, deflecting all the bullets and lifting her into the raised her wand, struggling with the effort to channel her spell, and screamed at the soldiers beneath her as she rose out of the hole in the ceiling.

"So if you care to find me, look to the western sky!" she screamed. "As someone told me lately, _everyone deserves the chance to __**fly!"**_

The soldiers were struck by a burning-hot wind, searing their flesh and knocking them down. They stared in horror as Glinda rose above them, the bubble blazing like a star in the night sky.

"And _**nobody **_in all of Oz," she hissed, pointing her wand at Elphaba. Her hand trembled, but she could not bring herself to destroy her friend. "No witch that there is or was… is ever going to bring … me … DOWN!"

A blast of flames tore through the Emerald Palace, conflagrating the lawn. The massive mushroom-trees that grew in the gardens collapsed, and crushed the sides of the Palace beneath their burning flesh. Several of the soldiers were instantly incinerated, leaving only their charred skeletons on the ground.

Elphaba raised her hands to protect herself as the flames surrounded her. A billowing curtain of darkness shielded her from the spell, and she screamed to protect herself as she watched Glinda rise into the night sky.

"I HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY!" she screamed.

"Look at her, she's **wicked!" **shouted the citizens of Oz, as the flames burned down their homes. "GET HER!"

"Bring… me… DOWN!" screamed Glinda, and rose further.

"So we have to bring her… DOWN!" roared the Ozians, charging towards her with pitchforks and burning torches.

"Ahhaaaaaaaaaah!" shouted Glinda, and then flew towards the heavens like a burning comet. The Ozians stared in horror as she vanished, blasting a massive hole in the clouds.

* * *

Elphaba watched her friend disappear, and slowly wiped a single tear from her eyes.

"I … hope… you're happy…"


	3. Thank Goodness!

_Chapter Three: Thank Goodness_

Fiyero smiled as he helped Elphaba into her ceremonial costume. It was a large black and emerald dress, with a silver tiara that rested upon her hair.

"You look beautiful, Fae," he whispered into her ear, brushing it gently with his lips.

Elphaba was silent, but accepted Fiyero's hand as she struggled to stand, the corset slowly suffocating her.

_ Glinda would have loved this, _she thought to herself, before she could stop. _She would have loved being stuffed into this stupid dress and parading herself in front of all Oz…_

She felt a stab of pain in her heart. She didn't know where Glinda was, or if she was safe. She worried that her friend was hungry or cold, or wandering in the vast desert wastelands. For the first time, she felt truly afraid.

She had everything she ever wanted… power and love. Nobody stared at her in the Emerald City, where she was as green as its walls. All of Oz revered her, as the Grand Vizier of the Wizard himself. She had everything… yet she felt as though something was missing.

There was a Glinda-shaped hole in her heart, and it was bleeding.

"Ready?" Fiyero asked. She nodded, wanting to get it over with. She felt angry with herself about how she was treating him - Fiyero cared, and she loved him, but there were some things that he couldn't fix. It was her own fault that Glinda was gone.

Fiyero pulled a long velvet rope, and the emerald curtains swooped open, revealing the vast skyline of the City.

A massive float was hovering outside, filled with jesters, magicians, sword-eaters and Oz knew what else. They were jumping around excitedly on the float, howling and beckoning for her to come down from the balcony.

She did not smile. She held out her hand, creating a cloud of green flames beneath her, and floated to the top of the machine. Morrible was waiting for her there, dressed in a horrifying robe and seemed to have a dead animal wrapped around her neck.

Fiyero stood next to her, clutching her hand soothingly, and with a command from Morrible, the procession began to move.

Elphaba remembered her naïve dream, so long ago. _Some day there'll be a celebration throughout Oz that's all to do… with me._

It was so selfish of her. And now it was coming true, and she hated it.

The float moved into the center of the Emerald City, and the tremendous clamour suddenly fell silent. Every man, woman and child in the city was gathered here, and they eagerly looked towards Elphaba, expecting her to make some grand speech or proclamation.

Morrible smiled nervously and nudged her in the ribs.

"Fellow Ozians," Elphaba began. "As terrifying as terror is… let us put aside out terror for one day… and, umm, celebrate."

There was a tangible deflating of the audience's spirits.

Morrible pushed her away from the podium and gave a horrible, fake smile. "Finally a day that's totally wicked witch free!"

The cheering began again, and the crowd became unruly, pushing and shoving as they tried to get a better view. Their voices rose into the air as they burst into song, all perfectly harmonized and altogether so well-rehearsed that it was suspicious.

"We couldn't be happier! Thank Goodness!"

"And thank goodness for **you**, Elphaba!" whimpered Morrible sweetly. Elphaba resisted the urge to puke.

"And for our **handsome **new Captain of the Guard," continued the sorceress. "Now, you've been at the forefront of the hunt for Galinda the Wicked. How does it feel?"

"She's not _wicked_," sighed Fiyero. "There's been a huge misunderstanding here. I - "

Lightning flashed in Morrible's eyes, and she pushed Fiyero away with more strength than a woman of her age could possibly have.

"But where are my manners?" she shrieked, and Fiyero suddenly felt unable to speak – the thoughts were there, but they did not form on his tongue.

"This celebration is all about you! Congratulations on your engagement!"

"This is an engagement party?" shouted Elphaba over the sudden uproar of the crowd.

"Yes! We thought you'd be surprised, the Wizard and I!"

Elphaba fell silent. There was no way to stop Morrible now. She had the entire City in her claws, and they would not listen to anyone else.

She felt disgusted with herself. She had betrayed Galinda, and sent her to die in some dark corner of Oz, cold and alone, the world that had once loved her now hunting her like a wild animal. All the while, she was soaking up the attention, being painted as Saint Aelphaba, who had chased out the Wicked Witch.

In hindsight, she and Galinda had been so close that they must have been more than friends. They had done everything together, and had even shared a bed on more than one occasion. They had held hands and laughed, and talked about everything that crossed their minds. It was a kind of friendship that blurred the line of love, and neither of them had been certain what exactly they were feeling.

It was a quiet kind of burning in their veins, reaching deep inside them and exciting their senses. But Elphaba was certain that Galinda would never have loved her – she was a hideous, green, **girl**. Galinda was a goddess of beauty, who could have any man she ever wanted. She had power, beauty and wealth – she was perfect. But…

"I'm not that girl," sighed Elphaba.

Still… she was happy as well. She had been … forced … into engagement with Fiyero, whom she loved with all her heart. He was a kind and good man, and she felt happy with him. She was the most famous sorceress in the Land, and by now, her name had surely been spread to every town and village. She was by the side of the Wizard, even if he was not the great man that she thought he was.

"That's why… I couldn't be happier," she sang quietly, following the tune of a song that Galinda had loved to sing in their room at Shizz. "Although it is unlike I had anticipated. There's a kind of, a sort of… cost. Yes, a couple of things get… lost."

She felt a stab of pain in her chest.

"There are bridges you cross, you didn't know you crossed until you've crossed!"

She saw a flash of golden hair.

"And if that joy, that thrill…"

The scent of fresh spearmint.

"Doesn't thrill like you think it will…"

A sparkling blue dress.

"Still… with this finale… who wouldn't be happier?"

_Galinda would be happier. She would love the attention. She would love the power and the adoration. She would have loved being the Grand Vizier. And I'm just a miserable mess. _

All semblance of order collapsed as the Ozians shouted as loudly as they could, screaming, yelling and cheering –

"We love you, Elphaba, if we may be so frank!"

"Thank Goodness!" shouted Morrible, her powerful voice shaking the earth.

"For all this joy we know who we've got to thank! Thank Goodness!"

"That means Elphaba, the Wizard," laughed Morrible, causing a burst of sunshine to explode over the Emerald City, casting rays of brilliant green light across the ground.

"And fiancé," sighed Elphaba.

"They couldn't be goodlier! She couldn't be lovelier! We couldn't be luckier!"

"I couldn't be happier!" shouted Elphaba, stomping her feet on the ground, causing a plume of green flames to burst from the ground and shroud her body. She could at least try to convince herself that she was happy.

"Thank Goodness!" shouted the Ozians, their voice reaching a crescendo.

"For… **today!" **sung Elphaba, closing her eyes and letting her voice rise away from her body. A surge of pure power shocked her soul and exploded from her eyes, causing them to shine a brilliant green. The flames around her body intensified, setting the entire podium aflame. Morrible shrieked as the flames leapt to her scarf, and Fiyero grabbed Elphaba's shoulder, shaking her vigorously.

"Fae! **Fae!" **


	4. Nessarose

Chapter Four: _Nessarose_

**Lots of gratuitous Nessa torture in this chapter, but also a chance for her to tell her part of the story. **

"Will there be anything else, Madame?" asked Boq, bitterly. Nessa didn't even register the sarcasm in his voice – she was absorbed in her own reflection. _She must be the vainest paraplegic in all of Oz, _thought Boq.

"I've asked you to call me Nessarose, remember?" said Nessa sweetly. She genuinely loved Boq, so much that she was blind to the fact that he did not return her feelings. The only reason that she had banned the Munchkins from leaving was to keep Boq with her. He was the only man who she had ever loved… and was it so bad that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him?

"Yes… Madame," he said quietly, and then left the room.

Nessa smiled and turned back to her full-length mirror. She turned her wheelchair, admiring herself from every angle. She might be a cripple, but she was still leagues more beautiful than her horrible green cabbage of a sister. Elphaba might be the Wizard's lackey now, but she would _always _be hideous.

Nessa took solace in that fact. She had always been jealous of her sister, although she would sooner die than admit it. Elphaba was the strong one… she didn't care about what other people said, and had made her way through years of school without needing a single friend. And herself… well, she was just a sad girl in a wheelchair. She relied on the scraps of pity that people threw to her. She relied on people to lift her up the stairs every morning. She hated not being able to do anything on her own, not even bathing or changing.

It was humiliating.

"Well," said a sickly sweet voice. "It seems that the beautiful only get more beautiful."

Nessa screamed, and pushed her wheelchair backwards. The long mirror tipped over and hit the ground, smashing into a thousand tiny pieces. She frantically looked around the room, but found nothing.

"While the mighty fall," continued the voice, and Nessa realized who was speaking. "Fall… fall… **fall."**

A pulse of magic shook Nessa's body. She screamed even louder as excruciating pain wracked her body, and a ring of flames surrounded her wheelchair. There was a blinding flash of light, and Glinda the Wicked was standing before her.

The pain stopped, and Nessa doubled over in her chair, gasping for breath. The smoke from the flames was making it hard to breathe, and she found herself sucking in ashes.

"I'm sorry," said Glinda, so sweetly that she might be feeling sorry. "Did I scare you? I tend to have that effect on people."

"What are you doing here?" coughed Nessa, trying to clear her throat. Her eyes were watering, making it difficult to see as Glinda walked towards her. She felt as though she was going to pass out from the blazing heat.

Glinda waved a hand negligently, and the flames disappeared. "I need your help," she said, and Nessa sensed the desperation in her voice. She had the advantage here… she had all the cards in her hand.

"You're the governor of Munchkinland," Glinda continued. "You're going to help me cover up this whole mess."

And she did look like a mess. The beautiful blue dress she was wearing had been torn and ripped, and it resembled a beggar's rag. Her hair seemed as though it had been burnt, and her face was covered in what seemed to be fine sand. Nessa assumed that she'd been travelling through the deserts of Oz… hiding like a wild beast. She had lost all respect for her former friend and mentor.

"I can't," she replied. "I'm not even the governor yet! Have you forgotten? My father is the acting ruler of Munchkinland until - "

"Spare me the crap, Nessa," interrupted Glinda. "I know about the little accident you have planned."

"I beg your pardon?" stuttered Nessa, feeling a sudden fear. She began to wheel herself towards the door, very slowly, and her fingers reached to undo the lever that kept her from moving –

Glinda narrowed her eyes into slits, and they glowed like rubies. The lever hissed as it was superheated, burning Nessa's hands as they touched. She screamed in pain, but her hands would not let go of the burning metal.

"You would kill your own father, just so that you can rule this pathetic place?" sneered Glinda, emotionless as she burned Nessa. "You're even more desperate than I thought."

"Please," screamed Nessa, trying to escape from her burning wheelchair. "I'll do anything you ask! _Aggh!"_

The heat subsided, and Nessa saw that her beautiful, gentle hands had been burnt to stumps. Now she had neither legs nor hands – she had nothing. She turned to Glinda, using her long hair to cover her face as she cried.

The door burst open, and Boq ran in, his eyes wild. He gasped as he saw Glinda.

"What are you doing here?! Stay back!"

"Bick, it's just me, I'm not going to hurt you!" gasped Glinda.

"No! You're lying! That's all you ever do! Both of you! She's as _wicked_ as you are! I'm leaving now. I'm going to the Emerald City. Elphaba is getting engaged, and - "

"Bick," sighed Glinda, walking forward and stroking the short man's hair. "Oh, my dear Bick… you're absolutely right."

One moment there was the Munchkin man, standing in fear. The next, he was screaming on the floor, clutching at his chest as though his heart would explode. Nessa screamed and used her body to jerk her chair towards Glinda, trying to knock her down – but she stepped aside, and Nessa trampled Boq beneath the wheels.

"What are you doing!?" she screamed. Glinda snarled and tossed her against the wall, breaking off the wheels of the chair. She hit the ground with a crack, and felt the feeling in the rest of her body vanish.

"Men only betray you in the end," she said with a snarl. "They're heartless."

Her thoughts flickered back to Fiyero… that horrible, cheating bastard. He'd run off with Elphaba when she needed him the most. She had been born a privileged woman. She had never felt pain before… but when Fiyero left her, it was like she had died inside.

It had torn away her conscience. Every drop of her guilt. All that mattered to her now was revenge.

"You're taking me to the Emerald City," she hissed, lifting Nessa up with the force of her mind. "Silently. Tell nobody. If there's even the slightest hitch, the Munchkin dies."

Nessa nodded, terrified. She couldn't move, and her feet were hovering a foot above the ground. Her eyes flickered to Boq, who was lying on the ground, motionless, and she felt the tears well up in her eyes. It had all gone so wrong… but it was too late to change it now. Even now, Lord Thropp would be walking into the ambush that Nessa had paid a group of bandits for.

Certainly, she would feel bad for a while. She would mourn her father's death as though she had nothing to do with it. But then it would heal and everything would be better. At least that's what she had thought. Now, she wasn't sure about anything.

"Let's go," said Glinda, and lowered Nessa back into her wheelchair. As she pushed her out of the door, Nessa quietly closed her eyes and focused all her thoughts on Boq. She saw her one and only love, lying dead on the ground, and felt sorrow melt her heart.

_"Ahtum Tahtae… Hayae Ahtum Tahtae Ahtum..."_

As they left the room, there was a flash of silver light, and the creaking of metal joints. Nessa closed her eyes, and a silent smile crossed her bloodied face. She realized now that Boq had never loved her… but she could accept that. Just as long as she got her little bit of revenge in first.

Oh, he would regret this for the rest of his life.

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